Home is where the heart is
by TTrin
Summary: A/U, a girl starts hearing voices in her head. What does it mean? And what on Earth is a Saiyan? After finding out she has now made her decision...
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own DB, DBZ, DB GT, DB (insert letter combination here) at all. So don't sue.

Yep, another different reality romance . I seem to be fixated on them, but I don't complain *grins*

Rating will go up in a few chapters.

###############################################################

There had been a time in my life when I thought I was going insane.

My name's Kate. I had grown up in a relatively small town, not big enough to claim to have any kind of entertainment activity or meaning to speak of, and not small enough that everybody knew everyody else. It was an average boring smalltown, and as soon as I could I left it behind. And not only the town, but also the country and the continent to start studying at a university on the other side of the globe.

There's a saying, 'Home is where the heart is'. The problem was I didn't know where mine was. I had hated the place where I came from, true, but I didn't feel at home where I ended up.

My tendency not to restrain myself and openly speak my opinion didn't make me any friends in the new location. Most of the people there were affronted by my attitude, and the few who weren't didn't dare say it, and were probably quite taken aback. I didn't mind that much, I preferred people to like me how I was, and not the mask I would have forcibly put on to fit in. 

But nevertheless, I felt lonely.

That's why I really had been convinced I was going nuts when I started to hear the voice. I thought that maybe my admittedly lack of regular free time interaction with other people made me imagine things that weren't really there. It really scared me; I've always had a healthy imagination, but never to the extent of inventing people.

After a few days I steeled myself and went to a horribly expensive 45 minutes session at a counsellor/psychologist woman, only to be told I should get some spare time activity and should meet other people, and why didn't I join their group session once a week, I'd get a discount since I was a student…

Very helpful. I didn't go there again.

I decided to deal with that weird situation on my own, after all, if I had thought it up, couldn't I just make it go away again? So when the voice came back again, as it had several time on a daily basis, I answered.  
I remember the first conversation clearly. I had been in  the middle of a short bout of self-pity, wondering whether I'd always be alone, remembering the unsatisfying relationships I had been in before.  
' I would never leave you unfulfilled. Never wanting.' said the voice in my head, and I bolted upward in surprise.   
'Who are you?' I yelled mentally, feeling a bit freaked out. I got the impression of a stunned silence.   
'Are you there?' came the voice back, tentatively. I snorted loudly   
'Yeeeees….' I tried to transmit dripping sarcasm to… wherever my conversation partner was. 'Where else? Now please tell me: Who are you? Are you a figment of my own imagination, did I make you up? If yes, could you please go away?' I felt extremely weird, taking with myself wasn't something I did on a regular basis, at least not mentally.  
'I'm _not_ made up' came the indignant voice. 'I'm Epin. And I didn't choose to have someone else in my head.'  
"In your head?!" I asked aloud and slapped a hand over my mouth. The walls were very thin in the house I lived in. 'Listen, you are in my head. And I didn't want that either!' I growled back. Again silence.   
'All right.' the voice grumbled. 'So we are in each other's head. Great.'

That first conversation had been the beginning. Not a very smooth one, but a beginning. It was as if that conversation had opened some sort of gate and information between us flowed more freely.  
 As the weeks went by I lost my belief of the voice being an imagination. It was too strange, too …not-me to be something I made up. It was an entire independent personality. 

His name was Epin. He belonged to a species called Saiyans, humanoid but with tails. I received some other memories from him, random ones, not making any sense individually – that's why I won't go into any details - , but in a greater context they did, like a giant puzzle you don't know the final picture before you finished most of it.

I knew that I was either mentally ill on a serious level or that it was indeed real. I couldn't tell which possibility was the correct one; on one side I didn't show any symptoms of a mental disease outside of hearing a disembodied voice, but on the other side I couldn't see how it could be real. Though after some time I leaned toward the latter.   
I know it doesn't make any sense like I write it down. But I honestly can't explain it differently. If you ever have the experience of talking to someone inside your head you somehow know is real, you know what I mean.

As time went by we started to get more comfortable with each other, even slightly attracted, much to my occasional extreme embarrassment.  I remember one time when I was ripped back to the present by the face of my teacher hovering inches before my own flushed one, asking testily where the hell I was with my thoughts. I was mortified, I could hardly tell him the truth, that I had been in a weird mental smooching session or whatever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The warriors flying through the air and exchanging blows and destructive energy beams moved fluently, giving to a possible unsuspecting onlooker the impression of an intricate dance, studied to perfection. Only it wasn't. It was a rather serious sparring session between warriors, more or less equal in power and agility , testing each other's strength, trying out new moves to outmatch the others. Every lapse in concentration would result be critical.

One of the blurring silhouettes found that out the hard way, pausing in his movements and not defending himself against the oncoming barrage of blows. The attackers barely managed to divert them, the complex dance coming to a halt.   
"What the hell's wrong with you?!" yelled one at the person still hovering frozen on the spot.

"N.. nothing. I'm going in" mumbled the one addressed, shaking himself out of his trance and descending rapidly to the ground.  
 The remaining warrior watched him go and shook their heads. "It's getting worse" one said, and his comrades only nodded, before starting their all-around attack anew.

He touched down slowly, deep in thought and moved towards the door of the large building.

"Epin." a harsh voice stated. Get in. I think we should talk." Epin's head shot up and his face reddened. "Yes, Prince Vegeta" he murmured, embarrassed that his prince had seen his lacking performance.  
He followed his ruler, milddle-length spiky hair swaying behind him, and took the seat indicated by Vegeta when they reached the main room. 

Vegeta scrutinized him for a while, frowning. "What the hell is going on?" he finally asked. "You were making good progress for some weeks, and suddenly you leave yourself wide open for the simplest attacks. If Bricriu hadn't managed to deflect his blow you'd be a mass of shattered bones. This isn't you. So tell me…" he fixed the squirming warrior with a hard stare, "what is wrong with you?"

Epin sighed deeply, knowing that this time he wouldn't get away. He had to explain, and it made him uncomfortable. True, he admired and trusted his prince, but to openly discuss his so-called problem felt weird. But there was no way out, so he started to talk. He told Vegeta about the strange connection with a girl somewhere else, the very first feeling that there was somebody else and him reacting g to it. The surprise when an answer came back, their conversations and how they started to know each other.

"Interesting." muttered Vegeta, a strange light gleaming in his eyes. "Tell me more, that can't be everything. It still doesn't explain why you're zoning out so often lately."  
"Well… we… "stuttered Epin, unsure how to go on.

"Let me guess", came a new voice, and he looked up to see his prince's mate and the owner of the large property come into the room, combing her blue hair with her fingers. "You two became used to each other, and your trains of thought started to interact? Like in an intimate manner?"   
Epin flushed deep red. How did she know? He shot a look at Vegeta and was startled to see the prince's complexion had darkened somehow. 

"Y.. Yes" he stuttered, trying not to think about the fact that he was about to lay open his private thoughts not only to his prince but also to the one being technically the princess of his species. "It.. it was like  a kind of role playing. On started to have a thought or a picture, and the other reacted to it, and the first one reacted again to that reaction and….well.." He didn't know how to proceed, but it wasn't necessary. 

"Oh goodie." sighed Bulma and looked at him with sympathy.  
"How do you know that?" Epin couldn't stop himself from asking.  
"Well…" Bulma grinned at her mate who had turned his head away, seemingly not interested "I remember we had the same thing…"  
"The sam…." Epin clamped his jaw shut. He did _not_ want to envision that. But wait a minute… "but that can't be possible!" he practically yelled, agitated.   
Bulma snorted wryly and muttered "I'm having this weird deja-vu feeling…", causing her mate to give her an indignant glare. Louder, she said "I know, I know. But tell me, do you know where she is?" Epin could only shake his head. "Not nearby, that's all I know."   
"Damn" murmured Bulma, while Vegeta lifted on eyebrow in surprise. "But you know her energy signature?"   
Yes," Epin said. 

"Okay, I need to take some tests. Come with me." Bulma said and without waiting for the young Saiyan to follow she exited the room. Epin shared a look with his prince and blinked perplexed before hurrying to catch up with his host.

Bulma  had managed to extract the necessary information out of Epin's memories and brainwaves before his condition got worse. Her experiment was based on a complex theory about each individual having its own energy pattern. In this case  the main goal was to pinpoint the energy signature and provide a kind of one-way gateway, guiding it to CC. It acted as a kind of beacon, only discernable to the person with that energy signature. The most tricky part wasn't bringing the person to the exact location where the gateway was anchored. It was the fact that it had to be triggered from the other side, by that person. Bulma had no means of getting a message with instructions across, and she could only hope that the girl would know what to do instinctively.  
 Bulma didn't know whether it would work at all, she hadn't had the chance to try it our before, but it was worth a try. 

Her satisfaction was enormous when it turned out the gateway worked according to expectations, and they moved it to the back of the main room where it wouldn't be in the way, but where they'd still notice at once when someone got through.

Now all they could do was wait. If Bulma's and Vegeta's suspicion about the nature of Epin's 'illness' were correct they wouldn't have long to wait. .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About three months after I first felt or heard him in my head things started to get strange. His thoughts became erratic, unfocused, and I became scared. I felt close to the voice and the owner of it, and I was more worried than I wanted to admit. And when I one day felt him slip away, gradually but completely, I unconsciously knew I had to act.   
I slumped down the floor next to my computer table where I had been standing, scrambling to my feet again and started running, down the stairs, out of the house to a place that somehow called to me but that I didn't know.  
But I knew if I wanted to help I had to get there, soon. 

After some minutes of running through streets, alleys, into the park and through brush and wood I saw a weird distortion in the air  next to a bush. Feeling that this was my only chance I leapt at it and instinctively braced myself for the crash into the thick shrubs behind. 

This was insane. Here I was, throwing myself into the vegetation of some local park, in the middle of the night, out of an inner urge to help someone I never met before in person. I desperately hoped I wasn't crazy, I only wanted to get to… to that _other_ place. I closed my eyes when I saw the bush getting nearer, and something inside me _twisted_.

###############################################################

So, what do you think? Please review and tell me your opinion, I'd really appreciate it. :-)

For those of you who wonder about the Saiyan's name – I like it a lot and decided to use it for that character. Any resemblance with the guy of the same name that had appeared in another story are purely incidental. They only share the name. The fact that Epin was 'given' to me doesn't have anything to do with it. Absolutely not at all. ;-)


	2. Meetings

Disclaimer: It still don't own anything DragonBall related.

I'm back! Thanks for the reviews, you made me really happy. 

This chapter is dedicated to everybody who had a sudden severe amnesia when they had an important oral exam, like it happened to me two days ago. :-S

###############################################################

I stumbled a few steps forward, trying to regain my balance.

„It's about time you finally showed up" a gruff voice said. My head jerked around to seek out the source of that comment. I admit I was terribly jumpy at that time. After all, the whole situation was a new one, one that I expected but not completely believed was real.

I saw a man wearing a frown, with dark flame-shaped hair defying gravity, glaring at me.

"What…" I started, and then blinked. I knew this one, from the images I had received from Epin. They couldn't be my own memories, I had never encountered a person like this, and I'd surely have remembered. There was only one person with that kind of hair style, white gloves and boots and tight clothes. Not to mention the stance, arms crossed, back straight and emitting pride in waves that were almost visible. And those dark indiscernible  eyes in a face frowning with disapproval. Vegeta, no doubt. The prince of all Saiyans.

My eyes focused on the person standing next to him, another one I recognized from memories that weren't my own. A woman with blue hair and a figure I'd give a lot to have, slender but toned. Bulma was her name, if I remembered correctly. Vegeta's mate. The memories about her I was given by Epin weren't as definite as the ones about Vegeta, but I still had a feeling of deference and respect. She had her hand laying slightly on the prince's arm and smiled at me, though I could see signs of worry and strain in her face.

"You know why you're here, right?" she asked me. "I…uh.. kinda, I think…" I stuttered. 

Wait a minute… if Vegeta was a prince, didn't that make her a princess? Which means, I was in one room with two persons of royalty? I'd never given that much value to royalty or something like that, but still, the notion somehow made me uncomfortable. But I didn't have any time mulling that over, because Bulma walked over to me and took hold  of my arm, leading me to a doorway. "I imagine it's very confusing right now." she said. "But there's no time for explanations right now, that can wait. He's dying."

Everything froze for a moment. Dying? He? She didn't mean… "Epin?" I whispered, wishing with all my heart it wasn't true. It would be an explanation for the jumbled thoughts and emotions having been bombarding me during the last day, and my overwhelming urge, my absolute wish and desire to be where the source of those emotions were, to help somehow. But still, I wished otherwise.  
"Yes, Epin." Bulma said and gave me a thoughtful look. "Apparently he didn't tell you everything. Idiot, he should have known you'd find out sooner or later." she muttered.  
"Huh?" I asked unintelligently, receiving a shake of her head as an answer.  
"Later", she said firmly, "we don't have much time now. But I'll have a word or two with him if he gets better." She cast me a glance. "When he gets better." She corrected herself.   
Needless to day, that didn't really help me to understand things or relieve me of my worries. But before I could question her about it we stopped in front of a door, and my blue-haired guide opened it quickly, ushering me inside. For the first time I laid eyed on the one that had been in my mind and thoughts for what seemed like forever to me, even though it had been only a few weeks. 

It was a sparsely-furnished room, a small table and a chair in a corner, and a large mattress. Bulma shrugged apologetically. "Sorry. He destroyed the furniture of three rooms he had stayed in before. When he still had the strength or motivation to do it. So we had him moved in here, I was afraid he'd hurt himself. Or worse."  
The last wasn't meant for me to hear, but I caught it nevertheless, and I couldn't suppress the shiver running down my spine. I didn't even want to think what exactly she meant by that. I concentrated again on the still figure lying on the mattress. He was all I had imagined and at the same time not. 

Long black skeins of hair laying limply on the pillow, surrounding a pale face that showed signs of anguish, and at the same time giving the impression of belonging to a corpse. Dark circles under closed eyes, a slightly upturned nose over a mouth that was drawn into an unhappy line. The rest of the torso was hidden from view by a blanket, all I could see were parts of his legs, partially clothed in some kind of spandex-shorts or cut-off leggings where he had kicked off the cover. All in all he gave me the impression of someone having lost any hope. A dying man. The only indication he was still alive somehow was the barely noticeable rising and falling of the blanket. To say I was shocked beyond belief would be an understatement. Being this close to him I could actually feel his hopelessness and sorrow, and it threatened to overwhelm me.

A movement from Bulma snapped me out of it, she was in the process of leaving the room and closing the door. "Wait!" I called to her desperately. "What am I supposed to do?" The notion of me being alone in that room without any clue what to do and what not scared me shitless. 

She gave me a reassuring but sad smile. "Just be there." she said. "It should be enough for the moment. It has to be. Just be there, hold his hand or something. There's nothing else you or anyone could do at this stage of bond withdrawal." With that parting words and another smile that probably was meant to be encouraging she closed the door from outside, leaving me alone with my curious and worried puzzlement and unanswered questions. And my soulmate.

I actually wondered in a detached kind of way why I hadn't been reduced to a whimpering ball of confusion. Usually I don't accept things as given, regardless how ridiculous they may appear. But not this time. I couldn't explain it, and still can't. But it doesn't matter. What mattered was that I just accepted it at face-value and acted accordingly. I don't even want t think about what would have happened if I had panicked at that moment and ran or something. But I didn't.

I was a bit unsure after Bulma left about what to do, so I just took her advice. I knelt next to the mattress, trying to find a comfortable position – I had the feeling that this would take a little more time than some mere minutes – and my hand wormed its way under the blanket to grab his hand.

I know it sounds a lot mushy, but still – that was the first time I actually and in person touched my soulmate , for real. I still get goosebumps when I remember it. Call me a hopeless romantic if you will, I don't care.  You'd be right, actually, at least concerning that special moment.

When my searching fingers touched his hand I suddenly felt some kind of … I don't know how to explain it really. I just felt right, as if something had finally clicked into place, like a piece of a puzzle, finally being at the place it's supposed to be, making things a bit more clear.

My fingers tightened around his after I had wriggled my hand around until our palms met, and I suddenly felt as if my limbs were of lead. So tired… I was so dead tired. I only wanted to curl up somewhere, close my eyes and know nothing more. With a big effort I fought against that feeling, unconsciously knowing it wasn't my own. Was it what Epin felt at that moment? I couldn't be sure, but it was my only guess.

Without knowing what else to do, refusing to be sucked up into the vacuum devoid of joy but also of pain and sorrow, and acting mainly out of instinct to soothe and comfort I tried to project feelings of warmth, protection and reassurance. I think I said "I'm here, don't worry, everything will be okay" and other consoling phrases over and over in my mind, trying to reach him somehow. I really tried to get through to him. It was weird, we had actually never met in person before but I was scared to death that I would lose him. I'm not sure how long this went on, I had closed my eyes in order to concentrate and can't honestly tell you when exactly I fell asleep.

Anyway, I woke up to painful cramps in my back and neck, and the urgent need to find a bathroom. My hand was still gripping Epin's, and I shot a hurried glance at him. No discernable change yet, his breathing was still shallow, but I thought his complexion had gained a little colour. But that may also have been my imagination; after all I was now used to the diffuse light in the room.

I released my grip on his hand and stood up, wincing at the weird popping sound in my back and shuffled to the exit.  
The sight that met me after opening the door wasn't exactly one I'd recommend for anyone not being a morning person or a just-having-woken-up-person. Vegeta was just walking along the corridor and stopped short when I stepped out of the room. 

"What are you doing?" he asked. Gods, how could anyone sound so flat, empty of any emotion and at the same time accusing?

"Bathroom?" I mumbled and turned toward he door indicated after glaring at me for another second. I was neither  in the mood nor awake enough for that kind of crap, so I just ignored him. 

After I exited the bathroom feeling definitely lighter and way more relieved I made my way back to where I had come from, muttering a thanks to the Saiyan prince still standing where he had before. I closed the door and  walked to the mattress, again regarding the man lying there. I wished I could speak with him…. 

I yawned and slumped to the floor in my original position, glancing enviously at the soft material Epin was resting on. He was still sleeping, and didn't look as if he would wake up soon… so it certainly wouldn't hurt if I'd just lay down a little on the mattress… after all, he was in the middle of the mattress,  plenty of space for me to use a bit on the edge… And I just did, hoping my back would be better when I woke up next time, and grabbing Epin's hand again before I fell asleep again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next time I regained consciousness was a kind of shock. I don't know  what it was that woke me, but when I opened my eyes I found myself captured in a stare of two dark eyes regarding me intensely. Epin had turned sideways and looked at me, wearing a curious and slightly defeated expression.

"You know", he said in a conversational way, his voice giving me goosebumps. But not unpleasant ones. "That's one of that latest stages."  
"Huh?" I answered and blinked, completely without any idea how to react, how to answer.  Way to make a first impression. *snorts* I stiffened and froze all over when he reached out with the hand that wasn't gripped by me to stroke lightly over my cheek, and a fury tail appeared from under the blanket two wrap around my waist and pulled me closer.

"The last stages of withdrawal. Hallucination. I've heard an read about it, but I didn't think it would be that real and convincing." Then he smiled at me; only a small change in facial muscle movements but changing his expression a lot. I felt like melting, but that emotion vanished as soon as he uttered the next sentence. "So I guess I'm going to die soon."  
I stared at him, speechless. He was still having that adorable smile on his face, so completely in contrast to what he had just said. Before I could collect my thoughts and even attempt to formulate a halfway comprehensive sentence, his smile grew wider and he said  "Oh well…. why not enjoy it while it lasts…"

And with that he extracted his captured hand and leaned over, grabbed me and with surprising strength pulled me over into his arms and on top of him, his tail tightening around me. I wasn't exactly prepared for this, to make an understatement. But all my thoughts disappeared when he pulled me even closer and pressed his lips against mine.

My mind drew a complete blank. That was something I definitely hadn't anticipated, but I didn't have time to dwell on it.

His mouth was soft but firm and warm. His lips against mine sent sensations rushing through my body I had not been aware I could feel so intense. I felt hot and cold, light-headed and dizzy, and at the same time more aware of everything surrounding me than I could remember. 

He pulled back and regarded me with an expression of warmth and something I couldn't quite decipher, but that made me tingle all over. "So real…" he breathed and claimed my mouth again.

His arms tightened around me and pressed my body even closer against him, his hands stroking my back softly and the tip of his tail tickling my side. His lips became more demanding, his kisses more urgent, and when he moved to my upper lip and nibbled lightly on it I couldn't suppress a gasp. 

By now most of my blood had moved to lower body parts, and all my thoughts and feelings were focused on him and what he was doing. There wasn't any room for rational thought in the intense pleasure I felt then. I can't really explain it, maybe it was the link we had multiplying both our emotions, but I can honestly say that I had never felt so much passion just because of a kiss. 

I had been more passive before, mostly because of the initial shock, but that was over now. I guess Epin was a bit surprised when I started to respond, timidly at first but with rapidly increasing enthusiasm. But he didn't complain. I wanted more. Every touch of his lips and his hands on my back, every small sound coming from him as the kiss grew more wild made me want to have more, much more. Our tongues caressed each other briefly and then moved on to explore the other's mouth, tasting and feeling as much as possible.

I don't know how much time passed, it felt like an eternity to me and at the same time way too short.  
We had rolled over at one time, with Epin now on top, and  I was gripping him as fiercely as he did me. I only came to my senses when I realized that our hips were pressed together and what exactly the rather solid pressure of something against my belly and pelvis meant.

My eyes shot open and I pulled back panting. Shit. What the hell had just happened? I needed to do something, and fast! I felt dizzy, the addition of adrenaline into my blood that was already crowded with other hormones didn't really help. Nor did Epin who had kissed his way down to my collarbone and flicked his tongue against my skin. Letting out a hissing breath through clenched teeth I squeezed my eyes shut I tried to get control over my body again and find a way out. 

I shifted my weight to one side and tried to roll over to get on top again. I wouldn't have managed on my own, but fortunately Epin willingly complied, tightening his embrace again when we stopped rolling. He started to nuzzle my neck, emitting a small sound of contentment. He seemed to like that position. Interesting. Hmmm….. Gah! Enough of it, I needed to put a stop on it right now. 

I extracted my arms from around him and tried to ignore the fact that the pressure of that… solidness against my belly increased for the short amount of time it took me to support myself on my elbows. I placed my hands on each side of his head, forcing him to look at me. I gulped. There was a radical change in his appearance, for the first time I had laid eyes on him he actually looked alive. His eyes were alert and I could see a multitude of emotions flashing across them, among them curiosity and annoyance at my interruption.  
"What?" he asked when I didn't say anything, and ripped me out of the process of happily drowning in his dark eyes. 

Oh. Right. 

Shit, how to do that….  "I have to go."  "What? Why?" he asked confused. 

I fumbled for words, and not finding  anything I settled for what was probably the most stupid thing I could have said in the situation. "You should rest now, you know?" 

Ouch… I mentally kicked myself hard. Telling a definitely turned-on guy you're currently lying on top of that he had to rest… brilliant, just brilliant.  
Epin obviously thought along the same lines. "Don't want rest now." he mumbled after giving me an incredulous look and tried to get at my neck again.  
"Um…. no, really, I have to go." I stuttered breathlessly and let out a squeak when he nipped at  my neck. "I have... things to do, I mean I… I…." Argh… that just didn't work out. Time for a fast exit.

I gave in to the urge and planted a quick kiss on the tip of his nose.  "Be right back!" I exclaimed, practically ripped myself out of his arms and tail and bolted out of the room, slamming the door shut.

###############################################################

That was the first intimate scene I've ever written…  I hope it was more or less tolerable. *blushes*

I'd really appreciate it if you'd tell me what you think of the chapter . Was it bad, passable, good, or something else? I want to improve my writing, so I'd be very happy about some feedback. I doesn't matter if it's about grammar, general plot, wrong expressions… just tell me. :-)

I don't know for sure whether Goku and the others will appear later on. I think so, but not for the next few chapters.

Um… I know that sounds stupid, but could someone tell me the difference between NC17 and R?


	3. Musings and Moments

Welcome to the next chapter, I'm glad you came back… :-D

Thank you for the reviews, I never realized how badly I was in need of some feedback. I'd be more than happy if you'd review that chapter as well, it really helps. ;-)

Disclaimer: I still don't own DBZ, only Kate and Epin are mine.

###################################

'Coward' an inner voice sneered at me. 'Shut up' I thought back and thought furiously. What now? Putting some distance between me and the room was a priority now. I didn't know the house and I have a terrible sense of direction, so I went back the way I came from, after a little while standing again in the room where I first met Vegeta.

The whole situation, what had happened and what could have happened, together with my own jumbled emotions took hold in that moment, and I have to admit I did  a really convincing impersonation of a deer caught in headlights. A very weird deer, but still.

The memory of his hands roaming over my back and his lips against my skin made me tingle all over. I usually don't lose control that easily, so why did I just then? It had felt so good, so… right. I felt myself cheeks heating up when I remembered how I had pulled at his shirt in the attempt to touch bare skin, losing myself completely in his touches and pressing as close against him as possible. The way he reacted when I had brushed against his tail…. Gods… only a few moments later and we would have… I blushed deeply, mainly because I had to admit that I somehow liked that idea. A lot.  
But not like that. First of all I wasn't really sure what the hell was going on really. As I said, I had somehow expected to get here, but that it was actually a real fact now rattled me. And Epin had been convinced I was a hallucination anyway, at least at first. Not the best conditions to start a relationship.

My train of thought skittered to a halt, burning mental rubber off mental tyres. Woah…. just a minute. Relationship?! Where the hell did that come from? Damn… 

Honestly, I'm not someone to happily almost jump into bed with someone else without having a serious interest, regardless how flooded with hormones I am at that moment. But the word 'relationship' and everything it implied seemed too …  I don't know, too definite. For the gods' sake, I had only met him a short time ago! Nah, it was probably only a short moment of insanity, some synapses in my brain connecting wrong. What I meant was something like friendship, right? Right. Gods, I so hated conflicting emotions!

My thoughts ran in circles, and  I didn't even notice that someone else had entered the room until I felt a hand on my shoulder.   
I nearly jumped out of my skin but calmed down when I saw it was my blue-haired guide from before. "What's the matter? Is everything okay?" she asked me worriedly.   
I stared at her. "Uh…er…" 

How the hell could I explain to her what the problem was? Especially since I wasn't completely sure myself. She looked at me quizzically and then nudged me toward another door.   
"Come on, let's go into the kitchen. I have some fresh coffee there, you look like you need it. Or maybe some hot chocolate. I need a break anyway, I can't think straight anymore. I spent too much time staring at those blueprints…" she chattered in the obvious effort to calm me down, and it worked.

She poured a mug of steaming coffee and placed it on the table in front of me, seating herself on the chair opposite me. "Now, what happened? Epin's okay, right?" she asked worriedly.   
I nodded quickly and blushed again. 'Okay' wasn't the expression I would use…  

Before she could ask me again Vegeta walked into the room,  snorting at her question "Oh right, he's okay. More than that, actually. His energy level was very high a few minutes ago. He seemed to be really excited for some reason."   
He raised his eyebrows and smirked evilly at me, apparently enjoying my mortification immensely.  
"Oh!" Bulma nodded, catching his meaning and grinned at me I lowered my now deep red face.   
How the hell did he know? Energy level?? Did that mean they could sense when someone else was…. I groaned.

"So." Vegeta said, leaning against a wall near his mate. "Tell us what happened."   
My head shot up and I looked at him with disbelief. "What?!" I squeaked. Telling them? Absolutely no way! I wouldn't…   
He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Not like that! Spare us the details. As if we wanted to know that anyway. I meant how he reacted in general, it's important."

So I told them. Just in general. Well, as general as I could. Which resulted in me omitting about 90 percent, but they seemed satisfied for the moment.

"A hallucination, right?" Vegeta snorted with something faintly resembling amusement. "Never mind. But he did look better than before, right?" I nodded in confirmation and concentrated on my mug of coffee, barely noticing that Vegeta left the room again. Telling them, not matter how general I had kept it, had made me relive those moments, and I had the suspicion that my face complexion would forever resemble a tomato.

"So…" Bulma began after a while, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "why did you go out of there?" Taking  another mouthful of coffee I decided to tell her, without too many details. Talking about things had always helped me, and I liked her somehow.

"Yes. Why did you?" A familiar voice asked from behind me. 

I spluttered, almost adorning the surface of the table in front of me with some coffee spray and swallowed with difficulty, my eyes feeling as if they would pop out of their sockets

Shit.

Bulma looked at the voice's owner behind me with and smiled. "You're up again, good."

I turned around slowly and saw Epin standing  in the doorway, wearing a feral grin. His eyes were focused on me, a pair of boots dangling from the laces in his grip.   
"You know" he said casually, "I'm not an expert, but I don't think hallucinations usually forget their shoes…"

Oh shit… my boots…I had totally forgotten I had pulled them off before I had crawled onto the mattress for the first time. Since I always ran around indoors with only socks or bare-feet I hadn't even noticed.

"Er…" was all I could utter, my ability to adapt to sudden changes in situations completely gone. What should I do? What should I say? Or for that matter, what did I _want_ to do or say?

Once again, Bulma saved me, giving me a few seconds to collect myself.  
"Well", she said, getting up from her seat and walked over to him, peering intently at his face and raising a hand to feel his forehead. He twitched almost unnoticeable, and I could actually feel his uneasiness at this action of hers and at the same time faintly amused defeat in the knowledge he couldn't do anything to stop her.  
"You really do look better. And your temperature has decreased. You know, you really had us worried there…."   
She sighed and shook her head. "Later. Now, you two have to clear things up. I know of my own experiences there's no way an outsider can help with bond-issues, so I won't even attempt it. You both have to deal with it. Are you up to it?"  
She looked at me questionably, and I nodded in confirmation. What else could I do? And to be honest, I really wanted to clear things up, to get some answers. I wouldn't run away or something, if that was what she meant. Not anymore. Epin knew I wasn't a figment of his imagination, and I was strangely relieved at that thought. Somehow the notion of not being perceived as a real person had felt like cheating, on both him and me. I wouldn't back out now.

What she saw in my face obviously satisfied her, and she gave me a quick knowing grin before she spun around to Epin, giving him a stern look and poked a finger against his chest. "Now you, mister, have a lot of talking to so. I can't believe you really didn't tell her everything concerning the bond. You should know it's essential for both persons to know exactly what it is and what it means. She has the right  and the need to know, so you'd better tell her. Did I make myself clear?"   
She waited until he mumbled a confirmation and then stepped back, flashing us a satisfied grin. "Good. I'm going to bed now. Vegeta will be pleased to know you're that much better again. Not that he'd admit it, but anyway. I'll see you two in the morning then."   
And with that, she left the room. I had the short and irrational feeling of betrayal at her sudden departure. But then, there was nothing she could have done or said to make it easier.

My eyes drifted back to Epin who was still standing at the same place. I swallowed hard. What now?

"Are you finished here?" he asked. "Yes" I muttered and put the mug down. Silence. 

I looked over to him and couldn't help giving him a quick once-over, taking in his appearance that I had seen only partly before.  
He wasn't big, only a little taller than me, and the tight dark shirt and pants he wore accentuated his toned frame. His tail was wrapped firmly around his waist, twitching occasionally and he looked at me intensely. It was a picture that made my mouth water, and I forced my eyes away, having the sneaking suspicion he could sense what I felt.

 "And now?" I asked, squirming uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. He blinked and cleared his throat. "Let's go somewhere else. The others will be back shortly, and I'm don't want them to interrupt us."   
My face took a crimson shade when I involuntarily thought about some other scenarios than talking they could interrupt. Gods, I was turning into a walking hormone! "The others, right. I remember." I said. 

There were about 6 other Saiyans beside Epin and Vegeta temporarily staying at CC at that time, waiting until the space transporter picked them up.   
It was an interesting principle Vegeta and Bulma had thought up, there was a constant fluctuation of Saiyans at CC. When one group went into space again another came to replace them, thus giving each of the few Saiyans left alive the chance to get in contact with their prince, stay in touch. And at the same time relaying information and other interesting data Bulma's company might need.  
From what I remembered of Epin's thoughts, Vegeta's method of keeping in touch had resulted in building one of the largest information network in nearby space, without being publicly known. And his fellow Saiyans were fiercely loyal to him, feeling proud to have the opportunity to personally get in touch with their ruler regularly.  
The single groups consisted of about 6 or 7 Saiyans, due to the small number of them left, and also because Bulma had refused to host more of them at the same time. Something about food shortage, if I remembered correctly….

"Are you coming?" Epin's voice ripped me out of my musings. "Right" I muttered and followed him through the corridor, trying to keep my eyes off his shapely butt. 

After we reached the room Epin plopped down unceremoniously on the mattress, crossing his legs. I sat down on the edge, feeling awkward. There weren't any chairs in the room and standing all the time was out of question. But the mattress brought some rather pleasant memories back that didn't really help clearing my head.  
Oh, what the hell… I scooted backwards until I felt the wall behind me.

An uneasy silence ensued.

"You know.." "Well…" we both started at the same time. I groaned. At this rate we would still sit there tomorrow without saying anything.  
"Okay. You first. And give me those back!" I demanded, stretching my arm out. He gave me a mischievous grin and lifted my boots. "You mean those? Come and get them."

I stared at him  indignantly.  Playing games now, right?  
Gods, what did that guy do to me? One moment I was feeling uneasy and awkward around him, and in the next I wanted to kick him where it really hurts. Or maybe not… argh!  Schizophrenia live and in person, nice to meet you. 

"As if," I snorted. "I don't need them right now."  
I gave the boots dangling our of my reach a glare. "Gods, how could I forget them here. I should have left them on…" I murmured to myself, forgetting his excellent hearing.

"It wouldn't have made any difference." he stated.

Huh? 

"But, you said back there…"  
"I know what I said." he interrupted. "But…" his voice took on a more guttural quality than sent shivers racing up and down my spine, and he grinned at me with an expression I can only describe as mischievous hunger.  
"But what?" I asked an swallowed. I wasn't sure if I liked the way he looked at me. Or rather I was worried about the fact that I liked it more than was probably good for me.

"But…" he said again, getting our from his cross-legged position and on his lower legs in a smooth and fluid motion, giving me a look that made my cheeks heat up. Among other parts of my body.  
He placed his hands on the mattress and started to crawl slowly towards me, his tail swishing lazily from side to side behind him. My attention was fixed on his graceful and seductive movements, I almost didn't catch what he said next, still in that low and sexy voice.

"… your boots were only the last confirmation I needed. I admit I have an active and wild imagination. But no hallucination I could think up would be so realistic."  
By that had reached me, and for the fraction of a second I wondered why I didn't do anything and let myself be captivated like that, but that thought fled me when he put his head next to mine.  
"I could never think up such a delicious smell…," he breathed next to my ear, "… or taste…", he flicked his tongue against my earlobe, "… or touch."  
He placed his fingers on my arm, dragging them lightly up to my shoulders.

#####################

Weeeell….  nice spot to end the chapter, don't you agree? *ducks to avoid rotten friuit and the occasional wrench*

What do you think? I'd more than appreciate you telling me your opinion. (You too, B.S ;-)  )

I'll have the next chapter out before the weekend, promised!


	4. Interruptions and Choices

Disclaimer: Do I have to say in each chapter that I don't own DBZ? Or is it enough to drop a line when I actually _do_ own it?

Warning: Contains a lot of mushy stuff and a lot of Saiyan cliches. ;-)

################################

By then I was breathing raggedly, my heart feeling as if it would burst out my chest if it sped up more.  
My whole body felt as if it was on fire and my skin tingled all over, every nerve ending highly sensitive and ready to explode at the slightest touch. The only thing that came into my mind was an awed "Woah…."   
I couldn't believe it, I never had a powerful and intense reaction before that had went up to such a high level, only because of a simple touch. 

When we had been all over each other before it had been different somehow. I can't really explain it, but when he had woken up the first time and kissed me, it had triggered emotions and a passion that had been pent up for some time. We both had dreamed about the other before I had come to this reality, a result of the bond we had formed, sensing the others emotions and subconsciously reacting to it. But in a faceless kind of way, only our minds and imagination being involved. And when we had actually met in person and finally had the opportunity to touch… Well, I don't regret I had bolted. It would have felt wrong somehow.

But this was something totally different. It was with the definite knowledge the other was real, and that it wasn't only a hormonal-induced spur of the moment. Or at least that's how it felt for me.

It was seduction, plain and simple. And I  had no wish to end it. 

We seemed to be frozen in our positions for some seconds, with me still sitting against the wall and he kneeling in front of me. His hands were laying lightly on my shoulders and  his breath fanning my neck lightly every time he exhaled. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't had the wall to support me. My limbs were feeling like jelly, and a part of me wanted that stop time, to feel this tingling and exciting apprehension forever.

In that moment I realized I didn't care anymore about circumstances and explanations, answers to my questions.   
I only knew that I wanted to be with that man, one way or another. I seldom had been so sure about something in my life, and to be honest, that scared me a lot.

Call it a rash and thoughtless decision, I don't mind. You'd be right.  
But all his actions, the way he moved, what he said and did… everything in a forward and demanding manner, but every time giving me with an opportunity to back out, never forcing me. I think if I had really wanted to I could have stood up and walked out (right, as if I had control over my body *snorts*) , or simply say no and he would have accepted it and bear the consequences. The way he had acted was a clear and simple statement, saying 'I want you. But I also want _you _to want _me_.'  
And I certainly did. And damn the consequences, I didn't care then. What counted was the moment.

I reluctantly lifted one arm, wanting to savour the feeling of his fingertips on my skin but needing something different, something more. I placed  my hand on his cheek and let it glide softly down  his neck, feeling the warm sensation in my belly increase when he pressed his face against my palm.  
He turned his head and leaned closer. Our faces were only millimetres apart and I could almost feel his lips on mine – 

And the door banged open. We jumped in startled surprise and leapt away from each other, or rather he did. I still had the wall behind me, so my backward movement was stopped rather quickly and hard. Epin had leapt to his  feet in front of me, crouching in a battle stance, eyes wild.

Barging in through the door came three widely grinning Saiyans, crowding around a baffled Epin and talking excitedly. "Back up again, huh?!" "Didn't think you'd make it." "Right, but when we came back and felt your energy level being way up we knew you'd be okay."

I was startled, to make an understatement. Only a few seconds ago I had been on the brink of kissing Epin, and now I felt I was in the middle of an invasion of Genghis Khan and his hordes. Only without horses. And only very few. Er.. anyway. I was staring wide-eyed at the newcomers, totally at a loss for words.  
They noticed me pressed against the wall behind their comrade and stopped talking, regarding me curiously. "Hey Epin," the largest of them said, "who's that?" And with a look at Epin's confused and irritated expression he raised an eyebrow and asked grinning "Oh, did we interrupt something?"

I blanched. Oh shit, if they had come in a little bit later…

Epin growled in response, clearly annoyed at the interruption, and obviously in no mood for a chat with them.  
The guy from before snickered. "Okay, okay…" he turned around and walked to the door, grabbing on his way the other two that were looking back and forth between me and Epin, and pulled them along. He turned his head around again, flashing Epin a suggestive smirk. "See you in the morning then. Or later. Have fun!"

"What is the meaning of this?! Etain?" came a very pissed off voice from the doorway. 

Oh great. The last thing I needed was more audience.

"Prince Vegeta!" the large one, apparently Etain, exclaimed startled. "We were just visiting Epin to see if he felt better, because his energy le…." "I know!" Vegeta snapped angrily. "Now leave and don't pester him again. And next time you decide to have a stampede in the house past my sleeping chambers, make sure to check _my_ energy level before. Go!" And they did, shooting guilty glances at their fuming prince. 

 "They won't bother you again." said Vegeta and stared hard at Epin. "And you better start explaining. It's hard to control yourself, but it has to be cleared up before. Anything else can be dangerous, for you and her. I know what I'm talking about."  
And with no further words he shut the door firmly, leaving us alone again. Once again an awkward silence descended. Gods, I was so annoyed. The whole mood was gone, and I expected another person to storm into the room any moment. Great, what a way to destroy a moment.

Unable to stand it any longer I asked "What did he mean with dangerous?"  
Epin sighed and walked over, seating himself next to me against the wall, legs touching. "He's right. I have to tell you before…" He paused and cleared his throat. My face took on a red shade when my mind finished the sentence for him and  I found myself grinning.  
"The bond. How to put that in a few words…" he muttered and looked down. He lifted his head and shifted around so he was facing me, looking at me with a serious expression. I stared back, feeling instinctively that this was important to him.

"The bond is a mental and emotional link between two people. It didn't happen very often in the history of our species, but it wasn't uncommon. It can't be forced to happen, it just does, usually when two people decide to become life-mates. But what's uncommon is for two people having a bond before they had mated. That had been recorded only a few times. There are theories… that the two people had been soulmates, being mates before they even had met. As far as I know it hadn't happened between different realities before. It seems we are the first." He stared at me helplessly. "There is no way to break a bond. Once it's there it can't be undone. The only way it can break is when one of the pair dies. Usually the other follows soon after. And with a really strong bond physical distance for a long period of time has the same effects. It's called bond withdrawal. That's why I was ill." He looked away. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But I had hoped that it wouldn't affect you as much, and that I was wrong somehow. But I wasn't. The fact that since you came here I recovered that rapidly is a clear proof. And  the way my body reacts to you…"

My complexion changed rapidly from pale to deep-red and back again. That was serious, really serious.

"There are two possibilities." he continued, looking at me again, suppressed emotions flashing across his eyes. I could see this was hard for him, and my heart went out to him. "You can go back to your reality and hope you won't suffer the withdrawal symptoms that much. I can't give you a guarantee for that, though. The other option would be that we complete the bond." At my questioning look he said "I mean the physical aspect." 

Oh. Back to blushing again. 

"Understand," he said, "that by doing this we'll be bonded forever. And I _mean_ forever. As in life-mates." He groaned and shook his head. "Damn. Why does it have to be that hard… I hate to put that upon you. And I want to be honest with you; there are only those two options. I'm feeling… bad that I can't offer you a way out. One way or another, you won't be able to get back to the life you had before, at least not completely. I'm really sorry. I never wanted to put you in that position, but there's no other way."   
He took a deep breath and said in a low and serious voice: "If you decide to go back I promise to do anything to suppress the bond as long as I can. If you take the other option, you have to know a few things. We both have sensed each other's thoughts and emotions before. Sometimes stronger, and other times weaker or not at all, that depends on the ability to shield yourself mentally and the concentration you put behind it. When we complete the bond we'll be permanently linked. We'll still be able to put our shields up if we want, and it's not as if we merge into one person, but the bond will be much stronger, and we… "he searched for words, "we share."  
He looked at me smiling sadly. "It's up to you now."

I was speechless. But not for very long. "Hey, wait a minute! You mean I have to decide _right now_? And why is it up to me, huh? If I understood correctly you have a big part in the decision, too!"  
"I made my decision already." he answered quietly, his gaze never leaving my eyes. "But both people have to agree on the bond." I blinked at him, numerous different thoughts tumbling through my head.

I stood up abruptly and looked at him. "I need to get out. No, not that way " I hurried to say when I see his face go blank before he could hide it. "I mean out of the room, the house. I need fresh air." He nodded and got up, leading me through some corridors and out onto a terrace. 

It was dark outside, the moon currently hidden behind some clouds and I couldn't see much of the area, but it didn't matter. Taking some deep breaths I started pacing back and forth, my mind racing. 

I was sure I'd still could go back to my own world to clear things up, so the connection to wouldn't be cut off completely. After all, I had come here, so I could go back again if necessary, right? The other reality was my home, but what did I really have there?   
I had no family except some distant cousins I've never met, and I met my friends only a few times each year since we were living so far away from each other, and the contact had lessened considerably. I hadn't been exactly happy and content with my state of being. 

And as stupid and unrealistic as it sounds, but I had fallen for Epin in that short time. Maybe it had started before we had met, perhaps the theories he told me about were right, I didn't know. But I knew I wouldn't go back to my reality just like that, everything in me screamed in outrage at that notion.

But that bond and forever-business scared me a lot, did I really want that? Was I ready for it? Or would I ever be? To be honest I had no idea. But I was ready and willing to take the chance and find out. I wanted to get to know him, wanted to be with him.

Epin really had been honest with me, I could feel that through the bond we had. Anything else I might have felt was carefully shielded, he didn't want to influence me in any way. He wanted the decision to be mine alone.

That was the final factor that cemented my decision.

################################

How will Kate decide? I'm sure you already know ;-)

I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than the previous ones, but the next one will be a lemon chapter and I didn't want to rip that apart. Or get beaten to death by certain people *coughs* 


	5. Bonding

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or anything related to it that I didn't purchase legally.

WARNING: This is a lemon chapter. This chapter also contains a lot of cliches about Saiyans, bondings and other things. If you don't like to read stuff like that then don't.

###############################

I didn't notice I had stopped pacing and had been staring at nothing for some moments. Epin's hand on my arm brought me back to the present. "Are you okay?" I blinked and nodded, and grabbed his arm when moved to step away some meters to give me room to think. He turned around and looked at me questioning.

I took a deep breath, opened my mouth and shut it again. Damn, how to say it? 'Yeah, right, let's mate.'? Hardly. 

I closed my eyes briefly. This was it then. "I… I have a million questions and I'm confused and all, but I'm pretty sure I made my decision." 

I wanted to make clear what exactly he was going to get involved with. "You know, you might regret it sooner or later. Probably sooner. I'm not exactly an easy person to be with, I'm moody and…" My rambling were stopped short by a quiet chuckle from him. He smiled at me. "I know.  Well, in a way. And whether I'm going to regret it, I'll find out, though I really doubt it. I told you, I made my decision" He looked into my eyes and lifted a hand to lightly brush my cheek, making me shiver in delight and nervousness. I let out a short laugh. "Well, in that case…yes." I said, proud that my voice sounded steady for once. "Yes, I want to bond with you." I felt somehow weird uttering those words, but at the same time a warm feeling rushed through my body.

The memory of the look on his face still gives me goosebumps. It was as if a bright light had been switched on, and he gave me such a tender and happy smile that my knees went weak. He put his hands on my shoulder and pulled me towards him, giving me a soft lingering kiss, full of promises of things to come. 

He wasn't concentrated anymore, or he just let his mental shields down, I don't know. But I was suddenly swept away in the middle of a stream of emotions that weren't my own. Delight, wonder, disbelief, hope and most of all pure happiness. It was so intense, and when I opened my eyes again, breathing raggedly I found myself slumped against Epin's chest and in his arms, clutching the sleeves of his shirt like a lifeline. "Wow…" I mumbled, voice wobbling.

"Sorry…" he murmured and nuzzled my temple, not sounding as if he really was, more like pleased. "Yeah, right", I snorted and wrapped my arms around him, feeling very content myself. After a while I asked "And now?"

"Let's go inside, it's cold out here." he suggested and placed a kiss on my forehead. "Right." I answered, having the sneaking suspicion the main reason for him to want to be inside again wasn't the temperature. Not that I minded, though. He brushed his lips lightly over my face, touching skin but at the same time not quite, moving down from my forehead over my eyes and cheeks towards my mouth and caught my lips in a searing kiss, eagerly moving his mouth over mine.

I don't remember the way back to his room, I was lost in the feel of his arms around me and his lips on mine.

The emotions and feelings I've had before the other Saiyans had burst into the room were coming back with a vengeance, and I gripped him fiercely, our tongues battling and caressing at the same time. 

It was intoxicating.

We stumbled into the familiar room and Epin gave the door a  shove with a foot, causing it to slam shut. I jerked at the loud sound and for a moment I was worried we'd have another visit from Epin's buddies or a Saiyan prince ready to blow a fuse. "Don't worry" Epin murmured having sensed my worry. He fell back on the mattress, and not being prepared for that I squeaked and landed hard on top of him, but he didn't seem to mind. Starting to nip his way down my throat, causing me to instinctly arch my neck he elaborated between his kisses. "I don't think anyone will come in here again tonight. Or even close, unless the house is burning down or something." "Huh? Because Vegeta was so pissed?" I mumbled, trying to follow what he was saying but unable to concentrate. He chuckled and licked playfully over my collarbone, making me release a hissing breath. "No, it has nothing to do with Prince Vegeta. It's self-preservation…. You'll understand…"

And with that he flipped us over and covered me with his body. He half smiled, half grinned down at me and nipped the tip of my nose before pausing for a moment to look deep  into my eyes. His own showed a multitude of emotions, too much and too fast for me to read but with an underlying tenderness that made my heart beat even faster.

"What?" I asked uneasily when he hadn't moved or said anything after a few moments. Was there something wrong? 

Epin shook his head slightly and chuckled, and laid his forehead on mine. "I only wanted to look at you. You worry too much." I felt my cheeks heaten up, unable to deny the truth of his words.

"Stop worrying" he breathed and caught my mouth again, kissing me with an urgency and increasing passion that made a tingling heat spreading rapidly through my body. Gods, how I wanted that man. Not only in a physical sense but also his mind, soul, his very being, everything.

My hands roamed over his back, tracing his muscles and memorizing the feeling of them moving and twitching under my caress. Damn shirt. I moved my hands lower, intending to reach the hem of his shirt when I accidently  brushed the base of his tail. He let out a muffled gasp and pressed his hips against mine, tightening his arms around me and let his head fall on my shoulder, breathing rapidly. 

I  blinked. Woah… Did I just do that? Could a simple touch have that effect? 

I had touched his tail before, and I could dimly remember him responding eagerly, but my memory of those moments was a bit hazy. 

Well, only one way to find out, I thought evilly and moved my fingers towards my goal. Epin's head shot up, a slightly panicked look on his face and opened his mouth "No! You…" The rest of the sentence was cut off when he let out a moan, threw his head back, eyes squeezed shut and his mouth partly open. 

There is nothing more beautiful than the face of your lover when he's in the throes of ecstasy that you have caused.

I stared wide-eyed at him for an instant, the image burning into my memory when my eyes snapped shut of their own accord as tightened his grip and bucked his hips, grinding his obvious arousal against my pelvis and belly.

Heat exploded in my body and I instinctively moved my own hips to press upwards, clutching him tighter. I had never been so incredibly turned-on in my whole life, and we even still had our clothes on.

Epin slowly stopped his movements and opened his eyes, staring with a glazed look into the distance before lowering his eyes down to me in a wide-eyed stare, disbelief and wonder battling for supremacy in his look. 

"Don't. This is too much." He took a deep breath and swallowed. "I… I want this to be special. I want to savour every moment of it. But my tail, especially the base…", he closed his eyes briefly and swallowed again, "I lose control." 

I looked at him hotly and nodded, grabbed his head to pull him down in a long and passionate kiss. He wasn't the only one who wanted this to be special, and what he had said made me want to scream in joy. Pulling back to get much-needed oxygen I tugged at his shirt, carefully avoiding the area of his lower back. 

"Off" I said simply. He sat up, never letting go of me, which made pulling of his shirt a bit more difficult but at the same time much more interesting for me. I pulled it over his head and used the short moment where he had to let go of me to push him on his back. I was panting, feeling light-headed with ever-mounting desire. Throwing the annoying piece of clothing to the side I attacked his mouth with my own, exploring , taking in his taste and texture. My hands ran across his chest, revelling in the feeling of his bare flesh under my fingers. His arms came up, crushing me against him and he responded eagerly, meeting every sweep of my tongue with one of his own.

I couldn't suppress a moan when he ran one hand down to my lower back to caress it, and the other snaked up under my shirt to open the hooks of my bra. He pushed me off him a bit to get rid of my shirt and bra, his gaze lingering on my breasts. He rolled us over again, kneeling over me and kissing me intensely while he discarded my pants and underwear. I reached down and did the same with his, and after some reluctant shifting and a lot of pulling and tugging were finally free of any hindering clothing and gazed at each other. There wasn't much light, but enough to make me unconsciously hold my breath when I looked at him. 

He was gorgeous. Other people may think differently, but for me he was the embodiment of everything I had dreamed of in a man. A well-toned body but without bulging muscles,  sleek and firm, and in the pale moonlight his smooth skin almost seemed to shimmer. A scar ran across his side, and as my gaze trailed lower  I almost missed another one running down one upper thigh, my attention being caught by something else, and I unconsciously licked my lips.

He looked at me unblinking, his gaze moving over my body in an intensity I could almost feel, and his tail moved restlessly behind him. He let out an indefinable sound and lowered himself on me, supporting his weight on his underarms lying on each side of my head. "Epin" I whispered when I felt his body over mine. He kissed me deeply, and one of his hands stroked my cheek, moving lower over my neck and collarbone to cup my breast. I arched my back and moaned at the touch, causing him to exhale sharply and burry his face in my collarbone, kissing, licking and nipping my flesh. His brushed his fingers lightly over my nipple, and I buried my hands in his hair, panting heavily. He ceased his attack on my collarbone and moved lower, placing little kisses on my flesh. The other hand came down to pay attention to the other breast, setting my body even more on fire and almost driving me insane. My eyelids fluttered shut and I moaned when I felt his mouth on my breast, licking and sucking, swirling his tongue around  my sensitive nipple while his hand was occupied with massaging the other breast gently.

"Wait", I panted, unsure if and how I could stand the tension that was rapidly building up inside my body. He ignored my pleading and switched breasts to give the other the same thorough and intense treatment. 

His unoccupied hand trailed lower between our bodies, finding its way between my legs and I bolted upright. Or tried to, but it was enough for him to pull back a little, giving me the opportunity to throw myself at him, grabbing his shoulders trying to reverse positions and succeeding. He seemed intrigued at my intentions, especially at the fact I was sitting on top of him with my legs on either side of him, but never stopped his fingers' teasing between my legs, grinning evilly up at me. It was driving me crazy, at this rate I would explode in a few seconds. I growled at him and forcibly grabbed his arm to push it over his head. Heat flashed across his eyes at the sound, and I gasped and let my head fall on his chest. 

Damn, I had forgotten he had another hand. "Stop!" I hissed desperately between pants, and he complied this time, obviously sensing how close to the point of no return I was. He pulled me down and gave me a fiery kiss, running his hands up and down my sides. "Anything you want." he murmured breathlessly against my mouth and moved his tongue down my jawline. Needless to say that didn't help much to calm my screaming body. Nor did the fact that I was very aware of his arousal pressed against my flesh.

Time for payback. I lifted my hips a bit and trailed my hand down his chest and lower, letting him know my destination and intention. He groaned and pressed his face against my neck when I brushed his length, his tail lashing back and forth next to his body and then curled firmly around my thigh. I moved my hand gently, stroking, marvelling at the feeling of his arousal under my palm. He pulled his head back and opened his eyes to look up at me. The look he gave me was full of desire and passion, of heat and willing surrender to my treatment. He was openly relaying the pleasure I was giving him fuelling my own even more with his gaze and the sensation of my fingers caressing his hot flesh.

Abandoning any thought of prolonging foreplay any further I let go of him with a last teasing brush, causing him to shudder lightly with pleasure.

I wanted to explore every inch of him, feel more of him, but there were some other pressing matters then. Besides, I had the pleasant anticipation I'd have the opportunity later. Lots of opportunities.

We held our positions for a moment, staring into the other's eyes and panting, and then I lowered myself on him, moaning and nearly losing it at the sensation of his length pushing in to me. I started to move slowly at first , memorizing the feeling of him filling me, but was rapidly losing control and started to rock faster on him. He was gripping my waist tightly and moved his hips upward in rhythm with my movements until we were both close to the brink. Then he suddenly rolled us over again, his fast breathing loud against my ear, and thrust deep into me a couple of times. He groaned loudly and tensed up suddenly, driving me over the edge with him. I think I screamed, I'm not sure. All I could feel was him shuddering on me and inside of me as my inner walls tightened around him. Everything exploded, the whole world around us shattering into million pieces, and wave after wave of pleasure washed over me, drowning me in ecstasy.

When I reluctantly came back to reality Epin had collapsed on me, clinging to me as if his life depended on him and trying to calm his breathing, sucking gently at my neck. Only after a few moments did I notice the sting on my neck where his mouth was, and I opened my mouth to ask what was going on.

I never asked the question. There was suddenly a presence in my mind that wasn't my own, a gentle, soft and familiar one.

'Epin?" I thought in awe, already knowing the answer.

'We bonded' he thought back with awe and happiness. 'I … I never though it would be like this. I didn't think it would feel so good.'

'What happened?' I asked in wonder, his mind linked to mine feeling like it was a part I had been missing, complementing me, making me whole.

'I bit you.' came the satisfied answer.

"What?" I asked aloud, unsure whether to yell at him or wait for an explanation. I opted for the latter.

He licked over the place on my neck a last time and pulled out of me slowly, making us both gasp at the feeling. He grabbed the blanket and covered us, supported himself on his elbows, looking down on me tenderly.

"I bit you." he repeated and stroked my face with his fingertips. "It's the act that triggers the forming of the bond, and it's also the Saiyan way to mark one's mate." 

" My mate…" he said softly smiled at me. I smiled back and lifted my head to kiss the tip of his nose.

"So you're into biting, right?" I asked teasingly, grinning at the blush spreading over his cheeks and storing this interesting bit of information for later. "What did you mean by marking?"

"Well…marking…" he struggled for words. "There will be a scar where I bit you. It won't go away. It's a sign for everybody else that you're taken and already belong to another. And you know that I don't mean that in a sense of ownership, so there's no need to get angry. You forgot I can feel you." He nipped playfully at my nose, turning serious again. "You're mine." he whispered, and the way he said it made my body turn to mush.

I pulled his head down to kiss him softly, feeling close to bursting with joy.

"What about you, can I mark you too?" I asked when we came up for air. He gave me a hot look and I felt a flash of eager anticipation coming from him. "Yes, you can. Do you want to?" I nodded, overwhelmed with his feelings at the thought and mine as well. He let out a content sigh and covered my mouth again, making all coherent thought disappear for a while. 

------------------------------------------

We made love again later that night, after cuddling turned into foreplay. This time we went slowly, exploring the other's body with hands and mouth, seeking and finding secret pleasure spots. I had a lot of fun trying to find out which way I could put how much pressure and where on his tail to get different reactions. I didn't get very far though. Saiyan tails are _very _sensitive. It was incredible, feeling my own body's reaction to his slow and steady thrusts and at the same time experiencing what he felt.

And I marked him like he did me, on the peak of our passion. The feelings coming from him through out bond when my teeth broke his skin and I tasted his blood, and the expression on his face afterwards… I can't describe it, no words would do it justice. But I know in my heart that this special moment will be one of the most treasured memories of my life.

It was almost dawn when we finally settled down to sleep, snuggled up to each other.

"Hey", I asked, through a content yawn, a sudden thought coming to my mind, "what did you mean then when you said no one would come close to this room out of self-preservation? You said I'd understand…"

He nuzzled my neck where he had marked me, the spot still tender but in a pleasant way.

'Saiyans are very territorial when  it comes to their mates, especially in the initial mating.' he thought to me. 'If someone had come into the room … It's instinct, to defend your mate against possible rivals. Even a friend would be seen as a challenger.  And everybody here knows it, and they wouldn't think about interrupting a first mating.' He chucked inwardly at my confusion. 'Think about it. Remember. How would you have felt if someone else had come in here when we were mating?'

Embarrassed and pissed, was my first thought at his question, but then I realized that wasn't entirely true. Just the idea of someone disturbing that intimate moment made my blood boil and my adrenaline level shooting up, and I unconsciously bared my teeth. He stroked my back soothingly, and I slowly relaxed again. "See what I mean?" he murmured and I nodded in response. 

"But I'm no Saiyan. Why should I react like that?"

"It doesn't matter whether you're Saiyan or not. I am, and we have a bond."

I blinked. It really made sense. Even if we hadn't formed that bond completely then I had experienced that strong emotions still got through. For a short moment I wondered how one's emotion would affect the other now that we had the bond, like, how would Epin react to me having PMS? "

"Will it be like that every time?" I wondered, and he shook his head. "Not as intensely. Territorial instinct isn't something you can just switch off, but it won't be as strong as it was the first time." I was relieved, the image of beating up someone who just walked down the corridor when Epin and I were intimate was a bit disturbing. 

I sighed contently and tightened my arms around him, burying my head in his shoulder and closed my eyes, giving his mind a last gentle caress before I drifted off to sleep.

#################################

Well, that was my very first lemon. What do you think of it? Comments, suggestions, anything? Please?!


End file.
